All Comments on 'The Hermit'

But still dislike stories where bad people let off.

Possibly hurt more than a few people.

Doesn't hurt to give reminders to these people that painful punishment is part of life

A bit cliché but still, well done!

Brione, however, needs to be taken down!

Andy walks away still smirking and sneering

????

A bit obvious but sometimes obvious is okay.

Well, you could have used "gawk" 4 or 5 more times....

I would have wrecked the other ship because that's what douche bags deserve.. especially when your in the middle of nowhere in a secluded island

Your stories are too rush. Bad Guys were not put in justice. Cheaters have little or no redemption. The setting of the story is in dreamlike state, making it too unrealistic. But anyway, the dreamlike setting is enough to suspend disbelief.

Always provide enough details for your closure. I give you five stars for making the story interesting.

Enjoyed the character development, the pace of the tale, and the use of language, especially in dialogue.

this was mostly a good story until you rushed the ending. What happens to Brione? What happens to Julia? What about Anna's job? A lot left open.

Very good story⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a terrific story!

Funny, heart-wrenching, seriously one of the best I have read.

I hate being anonymous because so many are weak and afraid to stand behind what they say but I just don't have a membership.

Great work!

Stev2244 expertly directs the ebb and flow of emotion in a way that is both dramatic and feels true. An example is the passage, after the lovers have disembarked from the boat, where they experience "cold reality" and the "crumbling" of their seaborne fantasy. This sets the stage nicely for the upbeat finish.

My only criticism -- and it is a small one -- is that the hyper-gorgeousness of the supermodel nymph is just as much of a cliche as the "ever-loving, perfect, non-cheating, rich ex Navy Seal owner of an international PI firm" whom stev2244 justly lampoons in his preface. It would take nothing away from the story if the mermaid's good looks were less emphasized... or if her attractiveness were pitched more as residing in the MC's own eyes and less in terms of the objectifying conventional ranking of female looks.

is great! Never having to compromise, or end up doing thing you don't really want too. Not wasting money on someone else. The last thing a guy needs is the millstone of a women round his neck. Ok if you must, pump n dump. But don't get long term involved, not worth it anymore.

Well done.

Loved this one! Could have been in the Romance section, but I'm glad it wasn't as I would have missed it. 5*

Great story, but I still wish he had slapped Andy’s smirky face when he caught him with Julia.

Would have liked to see Andy's nose flattened and his teeth taken out! That would have removed his smug smile!! 5*s

Don't buy Julia's reactions at the end... makes her seem both reasonable and like she actually cares. Neither of which seem to be attributable to her through the rest of the story.

Maybe Anna's right about her needing to feel equal in the relationship by cheating but nothing she did after substantiates that. Or forgives it.

Mark had enough money to make sure Andy and Julia spent the rest of their lives living in a cardboard box.

Not much to say except nice story enjoyed reading it.

Fun story .

Thanks

Good story, though I found the ending a bit rushed. And I can't really see Julia going from entitled bitch to actually being contrite in a matter of just a few minutes.

Enjoyed it. could have used more of an ending though.

Ending spoiled the story unfortunately

Simply a very well written story with some great characters.

About the 10th reading and the second comment. Still a dope-ass story. And, hey, my vote was gone so I get to give it another five! Quintessential Stev2244. Umm... tense...

Very good story but the ending was a little disappointing. Not enough about how much Julia suffered!

The ending should be more BTB to Julia and Andy. Definitely a 5 star 🌟🌠🌟🌠🌟🌠🌟🌠🌟🌠

Excellent story, no big sex scenes, just some love and caring and a lot of doubts until our hero realizes he's got a keeper. Good story and good editing thank you and 5 stars

good story from the rescue until the "sudden love, marriage"

Good story, story line is plausible so it hold ones attention,Thanks for writing as I suspected you could..you still have a problem with the character of men..You just could not keep the "why me,why me"out of the story. Accept the fact,Men can be sensitive and do change diapers without being a wimp. JZK

2 months ago this was a good story and even better the second time around. Proves you can write a good LW story without pages of unbelievable sex.

Should have given Julia, Brione’s number for his next cruise

What a great “Feel Good” story. It made me smile and I needed one today. Thank You! Five Stars!

Jeesh! Just like in the stev2244 story I read before this one ("Lost In The Snow" - I am trying to go in more or less chronological order), he prefaces with an apology. With "snow" it was for being a German speaker writing in English. When in fact had he not noted it, I wouldn't be able to tell, the English writing was so solid. And now here, he apologizes in advance for creating flawed characters, and a few other things. Like a similarity to "Fifteen Hours," which, since I found that one to be a keeper, actually made the prospect of this one promising. Having GeorgeAnderson onboard sure didn't hurt, either. And so what we get here instead of flawed characters are actually two lovely people who'd been wounded in the past, and together find a way to get over those damages - with each other. A beautiful romance, based on them exchanging substance, intelligence and kindness. Very moving moments abound, particularly the page 4 reveals. This has the feel of a real good Romance, but the cheating ex slots it just fine into LW. Besides, LW and R share a common border. Kudos to stev2244 for navigating the territory so nicely. Of course, a 5.

QM

Dry.

Disappointed.

That so many commentators don't understand a few fundamental truths about stories:

(1) The author creates the characters. They do and say what the author writes, no more and no less.

(2) If the author creates some characters we care about but no revenge, that's not the author's problem.

(3) If the author doesn't write the story as we would like, that's our problem, not the author's.

(4) The author decides when the story is finished, not readers curious about what happens next.

When stev2244 writes a story, he invariably makes me care about the characters. And jealous, but that's my problem.

A_Bierce says it well. Great story, great reading experience. The ending was a hoot!

A nice, upbeat story with no unnecessary frills. Thank you for posting it.

Really nice love story. Thanks.

Ed

Great writing, great story. Thank you. *****

A great read! Each story I read by this author is better than the one before. Although I'm not anywhere near rich, I feel Mark's pain as I have experienced the same emotional mutilation at the hands of a female Beelzebub and I know just what and how long it takes to get over it. Stev2244 clearly understands it too, as demonstrated in this excellent, 5 star plus yarn.

Read this before. Glad I found it again.

A very good story, so well written it was a pleasure to read. Thanks, stev2244, I enjoyed it just as much the second time in around. 5⭐️s.

Now that was the ticket, an honest to goodness solid romance. Your best story so far.

Well worth 5/5

I have now read this story 3 times and I still enjoyed it just as much as the first time around⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A super story, with two genuinely believable main characters (three, if we include Julia). I loved the finale. 5* all the way

Great story. The ending sequence was really nicely done. Julia was such a selfish, delusional bitch. Worse she had been forgive once then falss in with "Andre" her second "love". But the story wasn't about her. It was a top flight romance between Mark & Anna. Kudos to the author!

Overall, great story, but I thought the ending was rushed. I guess I would have enjoyed reading more about them. Great job.

my favorite kind of story, a boat, rescue a gorgeous women, lose a cheating wife with a little retrib...

Great story, had to slog through a whole bunch of em, but this one is a jewel...

Great story, second time reading it. Excellent stuff.

2nd read for me and still excellent. time to look for 50' or so sailboat!

Well, there wasn't the "burn the bitch" when Mark found out Julia was a cheating slut, but it ended well. I'm thinking they should spend way more time of the boat. Good story.

Well, well told! That final three-way conversation was so beautifully constructed, so easy to follow, yet without a single word telling us who was speaking each line. Masterful.

Anna, reading Mark's mind again and again, so funny, so cute and charming.

One marvelous read. Thank you!!

Good story, almost pulled me into getting a real feel for Anna, and Mark was almost easy to identify with. Not bad for a couple of characters in a short story... Well plotted, got some romance, very enjoyable

Needs more eroticism....

Five for you

What a delightful love story. Thanks for sharing it. 5*s.

I’m getting strong Horatio Hornblower and Lady Barbara vibes from this story. It’s well done and I give it 5 stars ⭐️

Really Good! Thank you!

The interaction with Anna, Julia, and Mark was hilarious. The triumphant “yes!” from Anna following Julia’s “NOOOO” was extremely funny writing.

Good inversion on classical tropes. Anna slayed Mark’s dragon and won the hand of her prince. Good on her

Very good story. Five stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

OMG, the ending just made me...happy, laugh, and smirk.

Truly enjoyed the story.

Thanks, DP

A great story. Thanks for sharing.

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I enjoyed this ... Great story well told

Sweet! Five Big Ones.

Great story. Thanks.

Well told recovery from a bad marriage, actually reminiscent of my one of my own that ended some 40 years ago. The woman that oved me passed almost 5 years ago. She is missed and this story reminds me of her loss.

See, now that is how I like my stories. This was such a pleasurable tale that I wish it was a novel. 5 stars

darker pasts and a nice little romance... but what the talk about their relationship waning? Sounds like they have things to talk about.

Truly worth 5 stars. Like the ending. Well written.